A Soul
by PinkPearlWings07
Summary: Jenny has an odd dream about Julian that she doesn't know how to decipher. She takes in badly, thinking it means she will never be able to dream of him again, but is it something else? One year after the final Game they played. PLEASE READ! ;D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! This is my first fanfic for The Forbidden Game series so don't be too hard on me if I don't get Julian just right…you don't know how long I have rewritten the plot for this story just to fit his personality…but you gotta love that lovesick shadow man! ENJOY! ;D**

**I don't own The Forbidden Game series or any of the characters by the amazing L.!**

**JennyPOV**

I often dreamed of Julian. I always kept my promise to him. During the few weeks after the Games ended, I would purposefully dream of Julian and I in several different places. All of them beautiful and full of light. But as the weeks turned into months the dreams became less frequent, not of my doing, and it unnerved me, but I kept trying. As the months flew by, I started to not remember what happened in the dreams, if they even happened at all. But what scared me the most wasn't the fact that I wasn't having the dreams, but the fact that I started to forget. His height, his chiseled features, the length of his fine, snowy white hair, and the way he felt in my arms, but most importantly, the exact color of his impossibly blue eyes. It scared me.

So it was perfectly okay for me to completely freak out when I closed my eyes that night to find myself in a small white room with a single window. Julian leaned against the pane of the window, gazing out, his features tense, eyes incredibly focused. As always, the sight of him rendered me breathless. I took in every inch of him, making sure that, even if this was the last time I would ever see him, I would remember.

In all the other dreams I had with him, I vaguely remembered that he always said the first word, made the first move…so I waited. And after what seemed like an eternity, I took a step forward. Julian's features took on a surprised form, his mouth opening slightly as his head swiveled with an inhuman grace, in my direction. His beautiful, indescribable blue eyes settled on me. His gaze met mine for what seemed like the first time in ages. There was an irrational urgency in his eyes, mixed with what I could faintly decipher as passion.

I took another step forward, but with three strides, Julian cleared the distance between us, and his head dipped down, meeting my lips with his. The kiss was small and sweet. He broke away, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with his hand, as if he had a headache.

"Julian," I breathed, "what's wrong?"

He shook his head as if he didn't know. But when he looked at me, his eyes held such a deep passion that I started to cry.

"No, Jenny," he whispered, his words laced with a tightness I couldn't figure out, "please don't cry."

I pulled myself together, for him, but continued, "Julian, don't lie to me. What's wrong?"

He pulled out of our embrace, bringing his hand up and giving it a casual twirl, even though I could see the pain it brought him. I could faintly see a ribbon of shadows and light, twisting in the air, coming together to form something solid. Something way to familiar. He looked into my eyes, but closed them, as if it were too painful to look at me. He held out the unearthly beautiful silver rose that he conjured for me. I took it, cherishing its silkiness. Looking back up, I saw him take my left hand in both of his. He was examining the ring he had given to me about a year ago, at the end of our first Game. He gingerly slipped it off my finger, dropping my hand. He looked at the inscription on the inside, and then took a deep breath. He blew on the ring lightly, and I could see it light up with some kind of hidden magic. He grabbed my hand, lightly pushing it back onto my left ring finger.

He gripped my hand with a gentle urgency, pressing his lips lightly against mine.

"I love you, Jenny, and I always will." Bringing my hand to his mouth, he kissed the ring and caught my eye. His gaze was filled with sadness and love. "Forever."

And with that, he turned, and walked back to the window, resuming the position he was in when I arrived. A foggy mist obscured him from my vision, but before it completely blocked him, I thought I saw a glimmer of a tear on his cheek.

I opened my eyes, bolting upright like I'd had a nightmare. I looked down on my pillow, having caught a glimmer of silver just before I sat up. To my complete surprise, there was a silver rose lying there, as if it had been there the whole time. A tear slipped down my cheek. Just to see, I took the ring off my finger, looking to the inside.

The ring that had once said _All I refuse &Thee I chuse_, that had been changed to _I am my only master_, now read _Love Conquers All. _

I placed the ring back on my finger, and I cried.

**A/N: Sorry about the shortness…think of it as a prologue of sorts. I greatly and sincerely apologize for Julian's softness and vulnerableness, but I honestly couldn't think of a better way to start off this story, even after all the brainstorming I did. Sorry. I promise you will get a harder and more Julian, Julian in future chapters! ANYWAYS! Thanks for reading the first chapter of my newest story! Please review to tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! Here's the next chapter of A Soul! I've figured out the plot, so I hope you enjoy it!**

**JennyPOV**

I pulled myself together. Maybe I'm overreacting a little…oh who am I kidding? Julian must have been acting that way for a reason! I choked on another sob, but shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it. I had to get ready for school.

I swung my legs off the bed, and grabbed the rose, delicately placing it on top of my dresser. I pulled out a pair of light wash blue jeans and a flowing blue top, putting them on. Walking into the bathroom I groaned at what I saw. A seventeen year old girl with dark circles under her forest green eyes and her honey blonde hair, tangled into a giant mess on top of her head stared back at me. Peeking out the door I rolled my eyes. Of course I didn't have enough time to take a shower. Sighing, I turned back to the mirror. An idea popped into my head.

I brushed out the mass of honey blonde hair, wincing as the brush caught, every time, and pulled it over my shoulder, attempting to twist my hair into a braid. I pulled my makeup out of the top drawer and carefully swept a layer of foundation underneath my eyes. I put down the brush and stepped back to admire my handiwork. No bad. Not bad at all…but I could sense something was missing. My look just didn't feel complete.

Unable to find the problem, I waltzed out of the bathroom and stopped dead in my tracks. That's it! I picked up the unearthly beautiful rose and carefully weaved the delicate form into the end of my braid. It was…perfect. Completely and utterly _perfect._ The rose seemed to make me glow, and I felt good. Even though I may never see Julian again, and nothing seemed to go right this morning, it was like Julian knew, and he made this rose to help me get over him. I took a deep breath to stop the tear that threatened to overflow. It was a tear of sadness, joy, and complete, irrevocable love for the Shadow Man that changed my life.

I tore my gaze away from the mirror, and left my room, walking down the hallway. I thought I caught the scent of coffee, but I surely didn't expect to see my mom already up and making it.

She smiled as I came and sat down. "How did you sleep, hon?"

"Fine," I lied.

She gave me a look that told me she knew that I was lying to her, but luckily, she dropped it. Though I saw her eyes catch on the silver rose adorning my braid. I could tell she wouldn't be able to let this one go. The rose was not only appealing to the eye, but was almost immediately recognizable as a foreign object, one that does not belong on earth…it is too beautiful. But someone who doesn't realize that the other worlds exist would never jump to that conclusion like my friends would…I was actually a little worried what they would think. Michael, of course, would recognize it immediately, since he was there to see that clue during the second game.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, eying the rose.

"A friend," I answered vaguely.

"What friend?" she pressed, "Was it Tom?"

I shot her a look. She knew that Tom and I had broken up a while ago. Of course, I still love Tom. How could I not after being my only love since second grade when I decided I was going to marry him on the spot. But it was more like a friend love. How would I know that, though? I never cheated on him, I didn't know what real love was…until Julian. He showed me what it was like to love with a passion, and to have someone else love you the same way. After that, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. It was definitely awkward for a while, but we got over it, and our group is as close as ever.

"No," I clarified, "It's not from Tom."

She sighed and put a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal down in front of me. I was relieved to hear the purr of Audrey's new car pulling into the driveway. Sometimes I was jealous of her. Her parents didn't give her more than a light scolding, and didn't even look twice at the crushed Spider before they went ahead and bought her a new car. If it were me, not only would I be grounded for life, but the new car, if I even _got _one, would be old and used and it would probably have a million miles on it already.

I said a quick goodbye before putting my favorite flats on, grabbing my bookbag and slipping out the door.

"Hey, Audrey," I said, sliding into the passenger seat.

She eyed the rose as well. "Well, where'd that come from?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it," I told her, putting my seatbelt on.

She scowled, seeming to weigh her options, tick me off more now, and possibly, _possibly _get an answer, or wait until she has five other people to back her up. She chose the latter and shifted into reverse, pulling out of my driveway.

~OooO~

Audrey and I pulled into the school's parking lot and walked over to the tree that we met under every morning before the first bell. Tom, Dee, Michael, Summer, and Zach were already there when we arrived. Ready for whatever Audrey was gonna pull I leaned up against the tree.

"Alright, guys!" Audrey said, "Jenny won't tell me what's up with that rose in her hair. When I mentioned it she put up a bunch of walls."

Everyone's head immediately swiveled toward me, eyes locked on the silver rose hanging from the braid I twisted this morning. The puzzled looks on their faces made me sigh with relief, until I saw Michael. He was shooting me an accusing look with so many questions swimming in his gaze.

Audrey, observing everyone's reactions, caught Michael's glare. "Michael?" she asked.

He looked at Audrey. I sent him a pleading look, but he didn't catch it.

"I don't know how, or why," he shot me a look, "but Jenny's seen Julian."

The gasps were enough to make me regret wearing the rose, but somehow, I knew it was worth it, to have a piece of Julian with me, that I haven't had since the beginning. I looked down at the ring and smiled.

I looked up.

"How?" Summer whispered.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; I opened them again, ready to do some serious explaining when someone caught my eye. I think it was a new guy, because I had never seen him before, but he was hanging with the jocks like he has been there the whole time. He turned slightly more towards me, and he caught my gaze. Something passed between us in that one moment. His ice blue eyes burned a darker, more familiar blue, for a split second before his face split into an over-confident smirk, obviously coming to the conclusion that I was checking him out. I turned back to my friends, a furious blush creeping up my cheeks. Dee looked behind her, seeing the jerk and gave me a reassuring smile before returning back to the Dee that wanted answers.

"You guys know I promised to dream him into places filled with light and beauty, to help him and to comfort myself right? So I had subconsciously dreamed about him last night, except, it was in a small white room with a single window…I didn't get a good view of what was outside the window, but it was there all the same. He looked sad, and urgent. He gave me the rose, which, as Michael knows, was used as a clue to me in the second Game, but something you don't know was that it was used to trick me during the first Game; it was a trick to be able to touch me. I held it in my hand and touched it to my cheek…he could touch my hand and my cheek afterwards, but that's not the point," I rushed on; hoping none of them would blame him too much for the trick. "He gave me the rose, and changed the inscription on my ring. It now says _Love Conquers All. _He told me he loved me, like a goodbye, and walked back to the window." I left out the parts where we kissed, what they don't know won't hurt them.

They stood still, dumbstruck.

Finally, Dee said, "Sunshine…" and rushed over to crush me in a hug. I didn't realize I was crying until she wiped away my tears. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him, and to say goodbye again is hard for you…but, he's gone. He probably knew that you should let him go, so he said goodbye."

Something hit me. In all my other dreams, anything Julian did was always left behind in the dream world…but he gave me the rose, and changed my ring, and both left the dream world…maybe he wasn't gone. Maybe he was back.

I didn't bother sharing this. They would all probably tell me how crazy I was and comfort me some more, but somewhere in my heart, something sparked.

**A/N: Big thanks to megadancingprincess for being the first to favorite my new story and for putting it on story alert! Anyways...again, I realize Jenny is a little soft in this but wouldn't you be too if you thought you lost your true love for the _second time?_ PLEASE REVIEW! I love you guys ;D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Presenting chapter three of A Soul! Thanks to LilBlondeRikku, ****mandidawna, ..., Adriane, and Nightgirl25 for supporting my new story! I hope I didn't forget anyone! And, on with the show! ENJOY! ;D**

**JennyPOV**

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day. All my friends' lockers were scattered around the school, even though we all had our first class together. They all gave me reassuring smiles before leaving, and Tom stopped next to me with his hand on my shoulder.

"You sure you're gonna be okay, Thorny?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

He smiled softly before leaving me too. I didn't move for a few moments, gathering my spiraling thoughts. And then I turned, and without looking, I started forward—

-And ran smack dab into someone.

"Sorry," I muttered, looking up. My face flushed with color as my forest green eyes met icy blue ones. His dirty blonde hair flopped annoyingly onto his nicely tanned face. His lips seemed to be turned up in a permanent smirk, his eyes held amusement.

"Need something?" His voice sounded vaguely like Julian's, but it was toned down. More…human. But still inhumanly annoying, especially coming from someone who is definitely _not_ Julian.

"Nope," I ground out, pushing him out of my way. I ground my teeth. I could feel his icy gaze locked on me even after I entered the building. I went to my locker, placing my bookbag inside and pulling my books out, slamming the locker door. Ugh, there was something about that stupid new guy that made me want to punch something…and I'm not violent.

I walked down the hall to my first class, History. Tom, Zach, Dee, Audrey, Michael, and I all shared this class. Summer was the only one who didn't have History first, because she took honors Science first. Walking into the classroom, I sat down at my desk next to Dee in the back.

"Hey, Sunshine, ready to learn about the Civil War for, like, the fifth time?" Dee asked, a bored smile on her lips.

"Ugh. Do you know how tired I am of learning about that every year?"I asked with a smile, glad that Dee didn't bring up what happened this morning. Although, I did see her checking out the silver rose.

Her eyes flickered up to me, "Can I see it?" she asked hesitantly.

I nodded, "Yeah, sure."

She reached her dark hand forward and lightly fingered the petals. She gave me a look of bewilderment. "They're _soft_," she breathed, "but it looks so much like real silver…"

I nodded, "It's odd isn't it? Something so solid and utterly perfect, but the petals and the leaves are so soft that it feels real."

Her mouth opened, as if to say something more, but she was interrupted by the tardy bell, signaling for everyone to be in their respective classes. She gave me a look that said we'd talk later, as the teacher walked into the room and started talking.

Interrupting the teacher's lecture, the stupid guy from earlier walked in.

The teacher scolded him for being late on his first day, but said, "Class we have a new student. His name is Jordan Ferreus. He says he transferred from Pennsylvania." She looked at him, "Why don't you take the empty desk next to Jennifer over there in the back." You could tell she wanted to get rid of him, and that's why she sent him to the back but _come on_, really, you had to pick the desk next to me? He walked down the aisle and dropped his books on the desk, sitting down and propping his feet up. He looked at me and flashed a dangerous smile, eyes dancing with laughter.

He was mocking me! He saw my reaction to him in the courtyard and is waving it over my head. Man, he just made me wanna punch him, or to smack that ugly grin off his face. I shook my head slowly, trying to zone out or _something_…anything to stop me from feeling _Jordan's_ gaze burn a hole in my side! UGH!

Finally, the bell rang, dismissing us from our first class. I couldn't get out of my seat fast enough, but my attempt was in vain. I had _every single class_ with him.

~OooO~

I decided to spend the night at Dee's. As of right now, I was pacing her small bedroom and ranting about how much I wanted to strangle Jordan Ferreus.

"Sunshine, what is it about him that makes you so mad?" Dee asked for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

I shook my head. "I don't know…" and then it hit me. I looked up. "Jordan reminds me of Julian."

She smiled like she just won the lottery. "Now we're getting somewhere. But I still don't understand what makes you so sensitive toward him."

"Who?" I asked, "Jordan or Julian?"

She laughed, "Jordan."

"Oh that's easy. His eyes…and his voice," I explained, "Both are like toned down versions of Julian's. _And_ the way he always seems to be mocking me, or laughing at me…even with just his eyes."

"Just like Julian did?" Dee accused.

"No!" I defended, but couldn't explain why. In a way, it was worse than Julian's mockery. Kind of like, even though his voice and his eyes seemed to be toned down, the amused Shadow Man was worse than ever…but that was insane. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Jordan couldn't be Julian…could he?

~OooO~

When I closed my eyes that night, the last thing I expected to see was Julian. I was so wrong. I ended up in that small white room with one window, but this time, instead of looking out the window, Julian was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, head in his hands. He looked so young. I didn't even think about it before I was next to him, trying to comfort him. He looked up, eyes filled with unguarded surprise.

"Jenny?" he asked, obviously not believing that I was right next to him.

I nodded. "What's wrong?"

He stared at me. Impossibly blue eyes staring deeply into my forest green ones. Seeming to decide I wasn't a hallucination, he reached out and delicately stroked my cheek. My heart beat erratically, as it always did when I was close to Julian. His hand shifted to my braid. I had taken the rose out before I went to bed, but decided to just keep the braid in. That way, maybe I wouldn't wake up with bed head for once in my life.

He gently unwound the band from the end of my braid, and ran his fingers through my hair. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, and he gave me a small smile, leaning forward. I met him halfway.

I pulled away first.

"What?" He asked, seeing that I was preoccupied. My gaze traveled to the window. I got up, and walked over. Something inside me was telling me I had to look, but when it was in full view, I regretted ever breaking the kiss.

The view was ugly. Unbelievably, impossibly, grotesque. It was the same view that the parlor window in the paper house had. Ugly, deformed shapes lumbering through blizzard-like conditions. Gigantic, overwhelming masses of rock, highlighted by flashes of unexplained lightning. I shivered. No one should be stuck with that view.

I gasped and whirled. "Where are we?"

Julian looked at me in surprise, but quickly snapped out of it, a bored, wry expression filled its place. "The Shadow World. Where else?"

My eyes widened. "We're in the Shadow World? But…but, how can you be in the Shadow World?"

He shrugged, snow white hair falling into his liquid sapphire eyes. "I don't know anymore."

I blinked. "But…how did you get here?" I was confused. How could he _not _know?

He shook his head like he was trying to remember something. "I was just…nothing. I remember just wandering aimlessly, nowhere in particular, and then, I just woke up in here," he said, gesturing for emphasis.

"But…if you're in the Shadow World, then how am_ I_ here?"

He rose to his feet, coming over and pulling me towards him. "I don't know for sure, but what I do know, is that when I saved you from drowning, I tried something that I didn't even know for sure would work. I used shadows to breathe life into you, literally. And…maybe, since it was my power…we're somehow drawn to each other."

He took a breath, seeming to think for a moment. And I took that opportunity to ask something that was bugging me since he said we may be drawn to each other. "Julian?" He looked directly at me, listening intently. "Are you…alive?"

He laughed without humor. "The only way I could be alive right now was if _They _brought me back. But why in the Shadow World would they do that?"

I shook my head. "Have you seen anyone since you came here?" I asked.

"Only the eyes of my elders…they often watch as I sit in here alone. It's like they're laughing at me." His indescribable eyes flashed with anger.

Seeing that this was making Julian mad, I changed the subject. "Do Shadow Men have souls?"

"Jenny," he said sadly, "Shadow Men have souls. That's why we grow to be shriveled and ugly, why we are young and beautiful when we are made…our outside forms reflect our souls directly. We are made with young, new souls, but as we age, our souls shrivel from all the hatred and evil we known for, as do we."

I stood on tip toe. "You'll never look like that," I whispered in his ear.

He pulled me back so he could see my face. I had the sudden impulse to push my hair behind my ears, but didn't have time before he pulled me into a kiss. I became vaguely aware that we were starting to become surrounded by the white mist, warning me that I was about to wake up. I pulled back.

I was about to tell him, but I could see in his eyes that he knew it too.

"I love you, Jenny," he said, though he seemed to be miles away now, "and I always will…"

"Forever," I whispered, recognizing it as last night's goodbye.

It was less than a second before my eyes fluttered open. I was lying inside my flannel sleeping bag, next to Dee, in her bedroom. I got up and walked into her bathroom. When I looked in the mirror, the girl's thick, golden blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulders, the band that once held the braid, lie forgotten in the Shadow World.

**A/N: You don't know how much I love you guys. Thanks for supporting me in my first FG fanfic! If you are a Maximum Ride fan please feel free to check out my other fanfics! **

**P.S. I just started a new round of classes at school, plus I have Drama Club almost every day after school. I may not be able to update as quickly, but I will try my best! **


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